1. = INFALLIBLE a. 2 a.
c. 1425. St. Eliz. of Spalbeck, in Anglia, VIII. 108/15. Stronge and vnfaylabil preef of hool and clene virginite. Ibid., 113/41. Bi an vnfaillabil clock.
1553. Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 10. Moste certayne … demonstracions of Geometrye, and vnfayleable experymentes.
1623. Bp. Hall, Gt. Impostor, Wks. (1625), 509. Trust them not, till you haue tried them by that vnfaileable rule of righteousnesse.
1673. O. Walker, Educ., 49. [Religion] is a principle, universal, perfect, unfailable.
2. Incapable of failing; sure, reliable.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 383. Of Scotland the wer wall,… Our fais force to defend, and vnfalȝeable.
1553. Short Catech. Edw. VI., 38 b. Christ, the author, earnest and vnfailable pledge of theyr fayth.
1643. Trapp, Comm. Gen. xvii. 7. The sure or unfailable mercies of David.
168[?]. in Somers, Tracts, I. 276. That He left there one to be Heir of His Grace and Spirit, in a perpetual unfailable Succession.
Hence † Unfailableness; -ably adv. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 350. By the degrees is *vnfaylably measured the hole circumference of the lande and sea.
1641. Bp. Hall, Def. Humble Remonstr., viii. 71. This is perpetually and unfailably done by us. Ibid. (1624), Peacemaker, Wks. (1625), 538. Euery where extolling … the assurance and *vnfailablenesse of that comfort. Ibid. (1644), Serm., Rem. Wks. (1660), 137. He takes all beleevers into the partnership of this comfortable unfailablenesse.
